#Middlebury #MLT #HouseholdHazardousWaste
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Saturday, April 17, readers can take their household hazardous waste to a free hazardous household waste collection in Naugatuck. They also can enjoy the fresh air while joining other volunteers in a Middlebury Land Trust trails work day.
During an earlier trails work day, Kent Sullivan-Wiley cuts a tree that had fallen across a trail. Then team members Joan and Chris Longino and John Bates dragged the tree clear of the trail. (Sharon Randall photo)
The Middlebury Land Trust Trails Work Day will be Saturday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to noon. All MLT members and interested people are invited to trim, prune, clear, mark and generally improve trails on several MLT properties.
Safety precautions include preregistration, and all participants will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing outside of their family groups. Participants will work in small groups after receiving instruction about trail maintenance at the beginning of the day.
Previous work days were enjoyed by all who participated and took advantage of the opportunity to be outdoors while also making the trails more enjoyable for use by all. Where possible, participants are asked to provide their own tools. Children must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
If you’re interested, please contact the event coordinator, Janine Sullivan-Wiley, at kswiley@sbcglobal.net. Please put “trail work day” in the subject line.
The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Paint Collection Day Saturday, April 17, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be at the Naugatuck Event Center at 6 Rubber Ave. in Naugatuck. It is free to residents of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Derby, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Prospect, Seymour, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodbury. There is no need to line up before 8 a.m.
Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license, tax bill, or other identification, is required for entrance. The event is sponsored by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments and participating towns.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, new protocols in effect at the event include:
- Residents disposing of materials must wear a mask and remain in their vehicle
- Only one family member per vehicle
- Collection materials for disposal must be placed in the rear compartment of vehicle, not passenger compartment.
- Containers will not be returned (No “pour offs”)
Household hazardous wastes are wastes produced in the home that are poisonous, flammable, reactive, or corrosive. They are harmful to human health and the environment if not disposed of properly. The goal of the program is to keep potentially hazardous waste out of local landfills and sewers, providing extra protection for wetlands and waterways. In addition, residents may now bring latex (water-based) paint to the collection event. While not considered hazardous waste, the latex paint will be accepted as part of a new statewide paint product stewardship program.
Waste that will be accepted includes oil- and latex-based paints and stains, thermometers and thermostats containing mercury, drain and oven cleaners, upholstery cleaners, wood cleaners, strippers and varnishes, pesticides, poisons, pool and photo chemicals, automotive cleaners and fluids, grease and rust solvents, aerosols, and metal polishes.
Items that will not be accepted include: No auto batteries, No motor oil, No propane tanks, No compressed gas cylinders, No asbestos, No smoke detectors, No explosives, No radioactive or medical waste, No grout, No joint compound, No lead paint chips, and No empty containers of any kind. The contractor reserves the right to reject additional materials.
Up to 50 lbs. of residential waste will be accepted per vehicle. Residents should leave materials in the original container whenever possible. When arriving at the collection site, residents are asked to stay in their cars at all times. Trained waste handlers will remove materials from the cars.
Unacceptable materials will be returned or left in the vehicle and information will be provided on how to dispose of them. For more information, please call 203-757-0535.
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